Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Information And Communication Technology In The Acculturation Of Vietnamese Refugees, Khanh A. Tran

Master's Theses

One of the most significant refugee populations in the United States is the Vietnamese. This group initially fled their native country to escape political oppression at the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975 and continued to flee in a series of separate waves that continued for more than three decades. As a relatively new immigrant group in the U.S., the Vietnamese still face a variety of challenges as they try to reestablish their lives and adapt in a new cultural environment. Acculturation is a complex process that is influenced by a number of factors. Throughout history, U.S. immigration policy …

Working In The Gay Front Line: A Model Of Workplace Heterosexist Harassment, Daniel Herres

Master's Theses

Research on harassment by sexual orientation is becoming increasingly relevant in society. Gay rights have progressed to be in the forefront of the political and social awareness, and organizations are turning their focus toward improving workplace diversity. Still, discrimination and harassment of LGB people continue to be a problem. Although a number of studies have begun to address this issue, large gaps still exist in the literature. The goal of this study was to identify antecedents and outcomes of workplace heterosexist harassment, as well as the influences of contextual and individual moderating variables. Participants from multiple organizations completed an online …

Settlement, Mobility, And The Organization Of Technology At The Clark Lake Site (22sh535): A Small-Scale Woodland Settlement, Michelle Renee Hammond

Master's Theses

Research conducted on the Woodland period in the Lower Mississippi Valley has largely focused on ceramic analysis of assemblages from large-scale settlements. Very little research has been conducted on lithic technology, particularly debitage from small sites. The Clark Lake site in the Lower Yazoo Basin is a small-scale settlement with components dating from the Tchula Phase to the Lake George I phase (circa 500 B.C. - 1500 A.D.). This thesis focuses on the lithic assemblage recovered from the MiddleLate Woodland occupation of Clark Lake. Analysis of lithic debitage provides evidence concerning site function at this small-scale Woodland settlement.

The Effects Of Psychological Contract Breach On Job Outcomes, Nichole Simone Ballou

Master's Theses

The present study examined the effects of psychological contract breach on attitudinal and behavioral job outcomes including job satisfaction, intention to remain with one's organization, perceived organizational support, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Additionally, the present study also examined whether the effect of the psychological contract breach on these job outcomes varied based on the type of psychological contract an employee had (i.e., transactional or relational). A total of 89 part- and full-time employees participated in this study. Results showed that the breach of one's psychological contract had a significant effect on one's job satisfaction, intention to remain, and perceived organizational …

Measuring Employee Perceptions Of Organizational Tolerance For Failure, Perla Yael Slutzky

Master's Theses

The empirical concept of Organizational Tolerance for Organizational Failure was examined. First, a clear definition of the concept was established and, second, the concept's dimensionality was explored. Based on data collected from 140 participants, four main scale components were identified: Organizational Values and Beliefs, Organizational and Supervisor Support and Motivation, Compensation and Reward Systems, and Recognition. Even though the final scale developed represented a good research base, further development is needed to improve some of the subscale's internal consistencies.

Who Framed Silicon Valley And Hollywood: Newspaper Coverage Of Regional Business Clusters In The San Francisco Bay Area And Southern California, Frank Michael Russell

Master's Theses

This study involved coverage of Silicon Valley technology companies and Hollywood entertainment companies in the San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. Previous work has suggested that newspaper coverage decisions are influenced by the communities that news organizations serve, journalistic values that can favor corporate interests, and the work of experienced framers of media messages. Silicon Valley and Hollywood are two well-known examples of regional industrial agglomerations, which are clusters of adjacent related businesses that are a powerful form of organization for the deployment of capital and labor. California's technology and entertainment companies have developed strong geographical …

Policy-Borrowing And Globalization Challenging French Universities In The 21st Century, Charlotte Stroumza

Master's Theses

French universities are currently undergoing an overhaul and, in my thesis, I analyze the 2007 Loi relative aux Libertés et Responsabilités des Universités (LRU), or law that makes universities autonomous, as a policy borrowed from the United States. This thesis attempted to analyze the process of policy borrowing using Phillips and Ochs' method. It also considered the role that the Bologna Process and globalization may have played in the creation of the LRU. The conclusion is that the LRU is the result of three phenomena: policy-borrowing from the United States; pressures from international and regional agencies; the individual understanding of …

Examination Of The Relationship Between User Participation And Technology Acceptance In Post-Implementation, Ekta Menghrajani Makhijani

Master's Theses

Implementing information technology (IT) systems to support organizational effectiveness and enhance efficiencies is increasingly costly, challenging, and has a low success rate. Many researchers have explored user technology acceptance as a key to successful implementation of IT systems. Research on characteristics inherent to the implementation process can aid interventions designed to enhance user technology acceptance. User participation is a process characteristic that has been linked to IT system success and user satisfaction before and during implementation.

Using data from 131 survey respondents, the current study investigated the relationship between user participation and technology acceptance in the post-implementation phase of an …

Prosocial Behavior And Teamwork In Online Computer Games, Julia Elizabeth Fredrickson

Master's Theses

The use of technology for training purposes is a growing field. Many of the traits for successful team building are shared by a variety of video games, overcoming the limitations of traditional team-building exercises. The goal of this research project was to study social and teamwork oriented behaviors within the settings of online computer games. One hundred and eighty-one individuals completed an online survey in which they were asked questions regarding team-work behaviors. These individuals also participated in a game scenario which measured their social orientation. The hypotheses for this research were that individuals who play online computer games will …

Outcomes Of Dialogic Communication Training On A City Government Management Team, Minna Johanna Holopainen

Master's Theses

Managing diversity in today's organizational environments can challenge many organizations. This action research study addresses that challenge by investigating the outcomes of dialogic communication training on a city government management team experiencing organizational diversity. The study consisted of four phases: (1) individual interviews for needs assessment, (2) focus group meeting for training design, (3) dialogic communication training, and (4) individual interviews for assessment of the outcomes. The results of this study indicate that dialogic communication and the development of dialogic style of leadership through dialogic communication training provide a valuable and practical approach for work teams. Specifically, management team members' …

Erasing Mexican Chicago: The Role Of Community Based Organizations And Immigrant Networks In The Gentrifying Neighborhood Of Pilsen, David Orta

Master's Theses

This study explores the effects of gentrification in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, a historic port of entry for Mexican immigrants and a basin for community organization and other resources. The research questions of this study first query the effects of gentrification on the informal immigrant networks that make Pilsen a site for community resources for new immigrants. Second, the study explores the effects of gentrification on community-based organizations in a rapidly changing environment. As the racial and economic demographics of the neighborhood shift, community based organizations must adapt. Finally, this study examines the relationship between neighborhood residents and community based organizations. …

Does Student Leadership Participation Enhance The Development Of Emotional Intelligence, Michelle Breanne Curro

Master's Theses

Emotional Intelligence is believed to explain how emotions may be used, monitored, and measured to predict workplace success and failure, the suggestion that if individuals can balance the emotions within themselves and others, they can use their skills to better their organization. This study explored the development of Emotional Intelligence in the ASI Student Manager Team in comparison to Student Government members at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) during the fall 2008 quarter. The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) was used to assess student leaders’ Emotional Intelligence (EI) development (N = 27). A two sample t-test …

A Comparison Of Overrater, Underrater And In Agreement On Performance, Aleksandra Karolina Gajek

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Work, Organizations, And Built Environments : An Ethnographic Approach, Sarah J. Clementson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Role Stressors, Coworker Support, And Work Engagement : A Longitudinal Study, Jerry Wright

Master's Theses

This study examined the Job Demands-Resources theory in relation to engagement using a longitudinal design. The main purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the nature of work engagement over time. Specifically, it examined if role stressors (a job demand) were predictive of work engagement measured one year later. Additionally, this study investigated the possible moderating or buffering effect of coworker support (a job resource) on the relationship between role stressors and later work engagement. A total of 96 (70% full-time and 30% part-time) library employees participated in this study. A moderated hierarchical regression analysis indicated that baseline engagement …

Examining The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership And Engagement, Ritu Koppula

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Readiness For Change : Can Readiness Be Primed?, Lisbeth S. Andersen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Value Congruence And Occupational Stress During Major Organizational Change, Mark D. Zajack

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Effect Of Organizational Structure On Employee Satisfaction In Youth-Serving Organizations In The San Francisco Bay Area, Kirah J. Caminos

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the respective effects of mechanistic and organic organizational structures on employee satisfaction. Employees from four youthserving nonprofit organizations participated. The respondents were primarily direct service and administrative professionals in the field, but they also included interns and executive staff. It was hypothesized that satisfaction would be positively correlated with organic organizational structure and negatively correlated with mechanistic organizational structure.

The measuring instrument was a survey questionnaire created for this study. The data were responses to 50 Likert-based questions that assessed three variables: mechanistic structure, organic structure, and employee satisfaction.

The research hypothesis …

The American Association Of Museums' Accreditation Program: An Analysis Of Benefits Perceived By Museums, Sara Wendt

Master's Theses

This study conducted a mail survey of 210 museum directors whose institutions had undergone accreditation through a program sponsored by the American Association of Museums. The study sought to ascertain directors' perceptions ofthe overall benefit and cost of the program, as well as their perceptions of the degree to which their museums both expected to receive and actually received 16 individually specified benefits. It further sought to determine the extent to which museum size and accreditation history may have impacted their perceptions.

The study found that while the time burden associated with the accreditation process was considered fairly high, most …

Community Foundations Serving Rural Regions: A Study Of Rural-Serving Community Foundations Located In Northern California, Michele B. Finstad

Master's Theses

This research project-a qualitative study with data collected primarily through interviews-was conducted to determine whether there are notable characteristics common to community foundations serving rural regions, and whether these characteristics differ from those of other community foundations in general. The framework developed for this research project was adapted from three empirical studies, each emphasizing specific characteristics related to organizational development and community foundations. The first study (Agard, 1992) examined the administrative, social, strategic, and technical systems of community foundations with regard to growth and change over time at different ages and asset sizes. The second study (Mayer, 1994) addressed the …

Vestry Retreats And Organizational Change In The Episcopal Diocese Of California, Catherine Taylor-Skarica

Master's Theses

A questionnaire was mailed to board officers of churches in the Episcopal Diocese of California asking about retreats, teamwork, and change. The central hypothesis was that officers whose vestries (boards) had gone on retreats in the prior year would report higher teamwork satisfaction and more organizational changes in that year than officers whose vestries had not gone on retreats. If supported, this might point to teamwork as a possible mechanism by which retreats promote change.

Most vestries from which responses were received (86.32%) held vestry retreats within the year before the responses, and most of these were held away from …

A Study Of Performance Appraisal Methods Utilized To Evaluate The Performance Of Self-Directed Work Teams, Linda D. Baxter

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Downsizing On Survivor Employees: A Literature Review, Alice H. Crawford

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Hormones Of Pregnancy Alter Somal Size In The Medial Preoptic Area Of The Rat Brain, Lori A. Keyser

Master's Theses

Formerly non-responsive females will display maternal behavior (MB) following pregnancy and parturition. The behavioral alterations are believed to occur in response to hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy. The medical pre optic area (MPOA) regulates hormone-induced MB. The current study examined neuronal changes which might account for the modified behavior. Twenty adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned a hormone condition: ovariectomized (OVX), ovariectomized/hormone-treated (P+E₂), intact diestrus (DI), or pregnant (PREG). Animals were killed, and their brains fixed in Golgi-Cox solution. Somata of the MPOA and related cortex were measured in each group using a Bioquant imaging system. Pregnant females …

An Analysis Of The Practice Of Selected Elementary Principals In Technology Utilization, Paul A. Roberts

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Principal Leadership In Applying The Change Research To Inclusion, W. Peter Freischlag

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Home To Stay: An Empirical Evaluation Of Repatriation Turnover, Ralph Beidelman

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Attempt To Predict Evaluation Of Current And Former Leaders By Examining Characteristics Of Their Followers, Jessica A. Golub

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Individual And Group Incentives In Total Quality Management Organizations, Nina Leigh Moll

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.